THE RICH GET RICHARDSON
No leeway for more foolish mistakes as Sheldon makes return
S heldon RICHARDSON was the quintessential Rex Ryan Jet. a beast. a baller. a sneering, angry, mean green wrecking machine. hostile, agile, mobile. Walked the talk. all that.
in truth, there isn’t a coach in the NFL who wouldn’t have craved a player like this. a difference-maker. a bad loser. a Pro Bowler.
Then sheldon Richardson fell apart.
he comes back sunday against the Redskins, returning to the team and the teammates and the fans he let down for this second chance, this last Jets chance, to regain their trust as a reformed and rehabilitated man ready, willing and able to sack the insidious demons eager for his Jets career, if not his life, to go to pot.
he comes back to make his 2015 debut to rejoin a defensive line and a defense that showed it could function just fine without him. But it will be so much better with him.
he comes back to play for the first time with darrelle Revis and leonard Williams and Ryan Fitzpatrick and Brandon Marshall.
he comes back to play for the f irst time for coach Todd Bowles, whose culture demands professionalism on and off the field and will not tolerate marijuana-reeking drivers racing recklessly and lawlessly into the night.
he comes back to what has a chance to be his first playoff team since he was drafted 13th in 2013 by former general
manager John idzik.
But if he doesn’t grow up, he will be someone else’s rolling ball of butcher knives when he puts the uniform on, and someone else’s problem child when he takes it off.
“i think he needs to just approach everything with professionalism, and he’ll be fine,” Revis said.
Bowles is trying to save Richardson from living on and over the edge while harnessing the overflowing football talents of a bully manchild in the trenches — where remorseless belligerence and law-of-the-jungle justice not only is discouraged, it is a necessary evil.
“i think sheldon just has to play well, and stay out of trouble, obviously,” guard Willie colon said. “anytime a guy gets in trouble like that, you want him to be OK off the field. Being OK off the field is not doing the mistakes he did to get himself in that type of position.
“We all knows what sheldon means to this team. he knows what he means to this team. he’s a superstar. We love him. i love him like a little brother. i worry about him off the field, i worry about his decision-making and how he’s going about his business.
“sheldon’s not a dummy, man. he’s a tough kid, he’s smart. i know people may not believe that, but he is a smart guy. he just has to make better decisions, and that comes with maturity and that comes with the right people around him telling him the right thing to do.”
Williams — the best player in the draft, passed over one pick earlier by the Redskins in favor of guard Brandon scherff — is a natural. his presence allows Richardson — appearing to be in a pensive mood during the week, chatting quietly in a corner with stephen Bowen — to ease back in without bearing the burden of savior.
“he’s an awesome defensive lineman and we’re happy to have him back,” Revis said.
Richardson has sounded humbled and contrite and, thankfully, has not promised to come out “guns blazing.” he may have baggage, but at least he doesn’t have Greg hardy’s baggage.
Both defenses will dare their opposing quarterbacks to beat them, but redskins running back alfred Morris figures to have tougher sledding than Jets counterpart chris ivory, which would mean Kirk cousins will have a more difficult time beating the Jets than Fitzpatrick will have beating the Redskins.
it isn’t only that Bowles will blitz cousins back to the White house, this modernday new York sack exchange is backed by Revis island, and that will unnerve cousins. This blueprint demands Fitzpatrick does not do the things that cause you to lose.
The Jets cannot afford to look past the Redskins and ahead to the Patriots in Week 7. if you fancy yourself a contender, you take care of business and beat the teams you should beat at home. especially after your bye week.
The Redskins are depleted in the secondary and are missing their stud left tackle (Trent Williams) and their starting center (Kory lichtensteiger). Richardson should feast while he is in there. colon has compared Richardson with former Ravens and Patriots linebacker adalius Thomas and marvels over his range.
“he can play across the board, honestly, and play well,” colon said. “and then his ability to cover. You can put him at a linebacker position, he could survive out there.”
it’s sheldon Richardson’s first step on a long climb back.